Variable volume floor diffuser with attachment means

Abstract

A diffuser for positioning in an opening of a passageway having conditioned air, the diffuser including a grate assembly, a pan assembly, and a retention assembly. The grate assembly includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion contains an aperture, a plurality of slotted sections, and a flange. The lower portion includes downwardly depending sidewalls and a stop. The pan assembly includes a tray with an aperture and a plurality of upwardly depending legs. The retention assembly couples the grate assembly with the pan assembly and contains a first member that is movable from a first position to a second position for selectively engaging the stop.

1. A diffuser for positioning in an opening of a passageway having conditioned air, the diffuser including:
 a grate assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion that depends downwardly from a lower surface of the upper portion, the upper portion having an aperture and a plurality of slotted sections; 
 a pan assembly having a tray with an aperture formed therein and a plurality of upwardly depending legs, wherein each of the plurality of upwardly depending legs includes an upper portion that substantially abuts the lower surface of the upper portion of the grate assembly; and 
 a retention assembly for coupling the grate assembly with the pan assembly and for installing the diffuser within the opening, the retention assembly comprising:
 a retention screw that is placed through the aperture in the upper portion of the grate assembly and the aperture in the tray of the pan assembly; and 
 a member having a length greater than a diameter of the opening coupled to the retention screw in a location between the upper portion of the grate assembly and the tray, 
 wherein the member resides in an unlocked position near the tray of the pan assembly when the diffuser is placed within the opening during installation, 
 wherein turning the retention screw causes the member to rotate and contact at least one of the plurality of legs and assume a locked position, and 
 wherein continued turning of the retention screw when the member is in the locked position causes the member to move upwardly along the retention screw toward the grate assembly. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The diffuser of  claim 1 , wherein the upward movement of the member is arrested upon one or more portions of the member contacting a bottom of a floor through which the opening is formed. 
     
     
       3. The diffuser of  claim 1 , wherein the member is configured as a retention bar that includes a threaded aperture for receiving the retention screw. 
     
     
       4. The diffuser of  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the grate assembly includes interconnected sidewalls that are sized to accommodate the opening. 
     
     
       5. The diffuser of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slotted sections includes a pair of side sections and a central section. 
     
     
       6. The diffuser of  claim 5 , wherein the central section and side sections are configured to emit the conditioned air generally in a common direction. 
     
     
       7. The diffuser of  claim 6 , wherein the central section includes a plurality of elongate slots having a longitudinal axis oriented in a uniform direction. 
     
     
       8. The diffuser of  claim 7 , wherein each of the elongate slots includes a pair of sidewalls in substantially parallel-spaced relation to each other. 
     
     
       9. The diffuser of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the pair of the slot sidewalls is configured in a generally vertical alignment. 
     
     
       10. The diffuser of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the pair of the slot sidewalls is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle. 
     
     
       11. The diffuser of  claim 5 , wherein the side sections include a plurality of elongate slots having a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       12. The diffuser of  claim 11 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the slots of the side sections are angled relative to an axis of the slots of the central section. 
     
     
       13. The diffuser of  claim 12 , wherein the slots of the side sections include a pair of angled sidewalls. 
     
     
       14. A diffuser for positioning in an opening of a passageway having conditioned air, the diffuser including:
 a grate having a plurality of slotted sections for directing airflow and a centrally located aperture; 
 a pan assembly having a tray with a centrally located aperture and a plurality of upwardly depending legs that substantially abut the grate; and 
 a retention assembly for coupling the grate with the pan assembly and for installing the diffuser within the opening, the retention assembly comprising:
 a retention screw that is placed through both the centrally located aperture in the grate assembly and the centrally located aperture in the tray of the pan assembly; and 
 a retention bar having a length that is greater than a diameter of the opening and an aperture therethrough that substantially bisects the retention bar, 
 wherein the aperture is coupled to the retention screw such that the retention bar resides in a location between the grate assembly and the tray, 
 wherein turning the retention screw causes the retention bar to rotate and abut at least one of the plurality of legs, 
 wherein continued turning of the retention screw causes the retention bar to move upwardly along the abutted at least one of the plurality of legs, and 
 wherein the upward movement of the retention bar is arrested upon the retention bar contacting a bottom of a floor through which the opening is formed. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The diffuser of  claim 14 , wherein the retention screw is externally threaded, and wherein the aperture in the retention bar is internally threaded and coupled in threaded engagement to the external threads of the retention screw. 
     
     
       16. The diffuser of  claim 14 , wherein the retention bar is movable between a first position disengaged from the plurality of legs and a second position engaged to at least one of the plurality of legs. 
     
     
       17. The diffuser of  claim 16 , wherein the rotation of the retention bar represents horizontal movement between the first and second positions. 
     
     
       18. The diffuser of  claim 17 , wherein movement of the retention bar from the first position to the second position serves to lock the diffuser within the opening. 
     
     
       19. The diffuser of  claim 18 , wherein movement of the retention bar from the second position to the first position serves to unlock the diffuser from the bottom of the floor such that the diffuser may be removed from the opening. 
     
     
       20. The diffuser of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of upwardly depending legs are generally vertical. 
     
     
       21. The diffuser of  claim 14 , wherein the centrally located aperture in the grate and the centrally located aperture in the tray of the pan assembly are coaxial. 
     
     
       22. A diffuser for positioning in an opening of a passageway having conditioned air, the diffuser including:
 a grate assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an aperture and a plurality of slotted sections; 
 a pan assembly having a tray with an aperture formed therein and a plurality of upwardly depending legs, wherein each of the plurality of upwardly depending legs includes an upper portion that substantially abuts the upper portion of the grate assembly; 
 a retention assembly for coupling the grate assembly with the pan assembly and for installing the diffuser within the opening, the retention assembly comprising: 
 a retention screw that is placed through the aperture in the upper portion of the grate assembly and the aperture in the tray of the pan assembly; and 
 a member having a length greater than a diameter of the opening coupled to the retention screw in a location between the upper portion of the grate assembly and the tray, wherein the member resides in an unlocked position near the tray of the pan assembly when the diffuser is placed within the opening during installation, wherein turning the retention screw causes the member to rotate and contact at least one of the plurality of legs and assume a locked position, and wherein continued turning of the retention screw when the member is in the locked position causes the member to move upwardly along the retention screw toward the grate assembly; and 
 after “the retention assembly” and before “an air adjustment assembly”. 
 an air adjustment assembly slidably coupled with the grate assembly comprising:
 a plate having a plurality of slotted sections, the plate being adapted to move between a first position and a second position, wherein, when the plate is adjusted to the first position, the plate prevents airflow, and wherein, when the plate is adjusted to the second position, the plate permits airflow; 
 a retaining bolt having a threaded shaft, wherein the retaining bolt is coupled to the plate; and 
 a wheel having an aperture that receives the threaded shaft of the retaining bolt, wherein bi-directional rotation of the wheel laterally adjusts the plate between the first position and the second position. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein an orientation of the plurality of slotted sections within the grate assembly is comparable to an orientation of the plurality of slotted sections of the plate. 
     
     
       24. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein a pattern of the plurality of slotted sections within the grate assembly matches a pattern of the plurality of slotted sections of the plate. 
     
     
       25. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein the air adjustment assembly further comprises a threaded block associated with the lower portion of the grate assembly, wherein the threaded block receives the threaded shaft of the retaining bolt. 
     
     
       26. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein the plate comprises a downwardly extending tab that couples to the retaining bolt. 
     
     
       27. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of slotted sections within the grate assembly include an elongate slot, wherein a portion of the wheel is aligned with and extends through the elongate slot allowing a user to rotate the wheel from above the grate assembly. 
     
     
       28. The diffuser of  claim 22 , wherein the plate comprises a centrally located elongate aperture that aligns with the aperture within the grate assembly and the aperture within the tray of the pan assembly, and wherein the elongate aperture of the plate receives the rod, which couples to a fastener that slidably engages and vertically supports a lower surface of the plate.